Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Wenzhou

For one person, living is cheaper in Wenzhou: $628 a month against $1,207 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
30

Cost of Living Index in Wenzhou
Learn more

Wenzhou Living Index

Jump to prices

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Wenzhou

🇨🇳 China

$628

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Wenzhou

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Wenzhou actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,207 in Phuket versus $628 in Wenzhou.

Phuket $1,207
Wenzhou $628

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Phuket versus $1,059 in Wenzhou.

Phuket $2,037
Wenzhou $1,059

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,867 in Phuket versus $1,489 in Wenzhou.

Phuket $2,867
Wenzhou $1,489

Living in Phuket is roughly 92% more expensive than in Wenzhou, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 11% lower, Wenzhou 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.58 ฿153

$3.01 ¥20.10

52.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.48 ฿1,086

$30.38 ¥203

6.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 ฿286

$7.66 ¥51.2

11.62%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.0

$2.65 ¥17.75

2.64%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 ฿31.25

$0.52 ¥3.50

80.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.39

$0.30 ¥2.02

63.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.6

$0.86 ¥5.73

201.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$3.03 ¥20.28

26.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.1

$2.08 ¥13.94

-16.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ฿47.82

$1.95 ¥13.01

-26.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.0

$1.31 ¥8.78

16.79%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$1.98 ¥13.21

9.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.15 ฿640

$7.61 ¥50.9

151.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿110

$2.18 ¥14.61

51.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿372

$9.49 ¥63.4

17.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿98.5

$1.90 ¥12.74

55.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$1.79 ¥11.95

-6.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 ฿76.8

$1.69 ¥11.31

36.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿71.3

$1.12 ¥7.46

90.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.1

$0.61 ¥4.09

150.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿45.55

$0.72 ¥4.81

88.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ฿37.44

$0.47 ¥3.12

138.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.59 ¥3.95

-6.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$3.37 ¥22.57

26.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.19 ฿608

$13.24 ¥88.5

37.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.2

$1.22 ¥8.16

42.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 ฿93.3

$1.23 ¥8.21

126.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿74.1

$0.29 ¥1.91

665.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.06 ฿737

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 ฿97.3

$1.68 ¥11.25

73.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 ฿33.79

$0.35 ¥2.35

188.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.83 ฿128

$7.75 ¥51.8

-50.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.85

$1.26 ¥8.46

18.25%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$26.7K ฿891.6K

$19.5K ¥130.4K

36.79%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$26.7K ฿892.7K

$15.5K ¥103.9K

71.84%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$99.4 ฿3,321

$29.91 ¥200

232.23%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$11.28 ฿377

$6.60 ¥44.11

70.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.36 ฿580

$8.89 ¥59.4

95.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 ฿1,747

$13.62 ¥91.1

283.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.85 ฿362

$26.79 ¥179

-59.50%

Cinema Ticket

$7.57 ฿253

$7.60 ¥50.8

-0.39%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$558 ฿18.7K

$1,247 ¥8,340

-55.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.9K

$9,703 ¥64.9K

18.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 ฿2,102

$43.55 ¥291

44.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.58 ฿955

$18.78 ¥126

52.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 ฿3,213

$96.5 ¥645

-0.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.1 ฿2,943

$44.71 ¥299

96.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 ฿24.4K

$240 ¥1,603

204.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$460 ฿15.4K

$170 ¥1,135

171.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,096 ฿70.0K

$632 ¥4,228

231.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 ฿40.8K

$363 ¥2,428

236.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,459 ฿115.6K

$4,065 ¥27.2K

-14.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,489 ฿83.2K

$2,598 ¥17.4K

-4.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$493 ฿16.5K

$868 ¥5,803

-43.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.46

60.98%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Last update for Wenzhou: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$460 38.1%

Wenzhou

$170 27% 63.1% $290

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$268 22.2%

Wenzhou

$196 31.1% 26.9% $72

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$128 10.6%

Wenzhou

$45 7.2% 64.5% $83

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Wenzhou

$92 14.6% 26.2% $32

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10.1%

Wenzhou

$93 14.7% 23.7% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$67 5.6%

Wenzhou

$29 4.6% 57.3% $39

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.2%

Wenzhou

$4.6 * 0.7% 88.2% $34

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $729 in Phuket and $240 in Wenzhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Wenzhou pays 76% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $30.00 in Wenzhou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $196 per month, with Wenzhou cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇨🇳 Wenzhou

🕒 Local time

12:41 12:41 PM

13:41 1:41 PM

1 h ahead of Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

9,300,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Wenzhou 3,240 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Wenzhou

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Phuket vs Wenzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Wenzhou is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 92% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 76% lower in Wenzhou. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $729 in Phuket versus $240 in Wenzhou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $558 in Phuket versus $1,247 in Wenzhou. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Wenzhou – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $628 in Wenzhou versus $1,207 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Wenzhou but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Wenzhou the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Wenzhou is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Wenzhou are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Wenzhou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 92% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.